Thursday, March 18, 2010

Set your sights on the realities of heaven…Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth Your real life is hidden with Christ in God…and sing…songs to God with thankful hearts.

Colossians 3:1-3 & 16 (NLT)

These verses from my reading today reminded me where I need to be looking. At Jesus.

I’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity. In reality it’s only been two months since my biopsy results came back confirming cancer. Before that I only waited for about three weeks to see if the lump I found a month prior was malignant. All of those things make a whopping grand total of just under four months. Four months. That’s all. Not too long in light of eternity.

So why does the temporal take up so much more of my brain space than the eternal? In this case maybe because this temporal struggle could result in the beginning of my eternity!

More likely is the fact that I can see what I can see. I spend lots of time “shuffling along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of me,” as Colossians 3:2 says. I focus on the here and now even though I am intimately acquainted with not only God’s promises, but God himself. I lose sight of my real life even though I genuinely believe God told me I’d be okay.

Now I have interpreted that to mean that I’ll live through cancer. Certainly I will live full of suffering for awhile but also full of living!

Now I know also that God’s words says we only know in part. So I know I could have misinterpreted this word concerning my health. I’ve been wanting to hear the second half of God’s sentence. You’ll be okay…now.

I’ve been wanting a point where I could be instantaneously and miraculously healed. I want for doctors to stand in amazement and proclaim a medical miracle. I want to be completely eradicated of cancer and to never worry about it again. Ever. I want an ending to all of this. Desperately.

I thought it might come with each mammogram and ultrasound. It didn’t. I thought it might come with surgery. It didn’t. I thought it would surely come with a formal diagnosis. It didn’t.

So where does that leave me? It leaves me living day by day holding fast to God. It leaves me living a reminder that each day is a gift. It leaves me living a reminder that we are all desperately dependant on a big and very good God.

Just because I have been placed in a difficult situation doesn’t mean that God’s word doesn’t apply. Actually, it means the exact opposite. It means God’s word applies more than ever. I know this because Colossians 3:10 says my Creator handpicked this for me. “Every item of your new way of life (even the fruits of cancer) is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.”

And about that thankfulness, I’m trying to find…Colossians 3:15-16 says, “Let the peace of Christ keep you…and cultivate thankfulness.” I can do this by letting God’s word have run of my house and praising him.

And that’s a promise!

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it…Pursue…Christ…that’s where the action is…Give (the Word of Christ) plenty of room in your lives…and sing, sing your hearts out to God!” Colossians 3:1-2 &16 (The Message)

7 comments:

I suck at waiting. At least you are eloquent with your words about stupid waiting. Oh wait - it's part of God's plan. Yeah, I meant to say that, but the toddler slipped out. This is why it is such a blessing that I can replace these words with songs of joy and peace and comfort. For example: "As I wait - You make me strong! As I long, draw me to Your arms. As I stand and sing Your praise, You come, You come and fill this place!"

Many people will be watching how you handle your health challenge. As Christians, we know that God can heal. But it's still hard waiting. In the midst of the storm, I love that you're singing. Praising and worshiping Him puts the focus on Him. He is El Shadday and nothing is impossible for Him. His timing is perfect.